Bowling-alley ball-chute.



imi l W. W. VEARING. BOWLIANG ALLEY BALL CHUTE. APPLICATION man APR.30,1915.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

gwoon/tof,

co uMmA PLANOORAPH Co,.w/\ nlNGToN. nA c,

entran srAr WILLIAM w. vEAnING, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOWLING-ALLEY BALL-CHUTE.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, i915.

Application filed April 30, 1915. Serial No. 25,046.

.To {,ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that l, WILLIAM W. VEARING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bowling- Alley Ball-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a chute construc tion, and more particularly to the class of bowling alley ball'chutes.

The primary obj ect of the invention is the provision of a chute of this character wherein upon the return of the bowling ball or balls the same will be guided onto a rack for supporting the same for further use by the players of a bowling game, the chute being of novel form to retard the speed of travel of the ball sufficiently to permit the carriage and deposit thereof onto the rack.

Another obiect of the invention is the provision of a chute of this character wherein the same can be adiusted so as to operate successively with varioussizes of bowling balls for retarding the same when reaching the point of deposit upon a rack, thereby avoid`r ing undue concussion between balls upon the said rack, and also to minimize noise on the return of the ball thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a chute of this character which is simple in construction. thoroughly reliable and eliicient in its operation,v strong. durable, and inexpensive in manufacture and installation.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side eleva tion of a chute constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to thev drawing in detail, the numeral 5 designates a pair of spaced parallel rails which are fixed to the foundation of the alley at one side thereof and are cofor the return of the ball 'return thereof, and upon' this to be deposited the balls 1n a. manner pres- -housing 9.

extensive with the same to form the gutter after making a play upon the alley, as usual. Arranged between the rails 5 is an intermediate' traction rail 6 on which travels the ball for minimizing friction between the same and the rails 5 during the return travel of the said ball in the gutter. Arranged above the gutter at the entrance end of the alley is a double railed elevated rack 7, the rails of which are fixed to and supported upon upright frames 8 which are adapted to bridge the gutter and are suitably secured to the rails 5 thereof so as not to interfere with the free passage of the ball or balls beneath the rack l upon the rack is adapted ently described.

bommunicating with the outer ends of the gutter and rack, respectively, is a box-like housing 9 whichis substituted for the terminal post ordinarily forming a part of the bowling alley, and arranged within this housing 9 is a retarding device comprising a bowed leaf spring 10 Vwhich has its lowermost end counterseated and made fast to the bottom of the housing, while the oppositeend thereof is free, and supported within the same is a guide strap 11, the same being connected with the fastened end of the spring, while the opposite end thereof is reversely curled, as at 12, and fixed to a rocking substantially arcuate-shaped arm 13 pivoted in a substantially inverted U-shaped yoke or hanger 14 which is swingingly suspended within the housing 9 near the upper end thereof.

The yoke is formed with a. series of holes 15 for the adjustable connection thereof on a suspension pivot or rod 16, which is detachably mounted in opposite sides of the The uppermost end portions or stretches of the strap 12 and spring 10 are adapted to slightly overhang the out-er end of the rack 7 for the guiding of the ball from the gutter beneath to the latter through the housing. Secured to the strap l1 near the free terminal of the spring 10 is a bail 17, with which is connected a suspension strap 18, the same being also connected to the opposite end of the rocking arm 13 so as to hold the strap centered rela tive to the spring l0, and also to prevent lateral displacement of the latter. In lieu of removing the pivot or rod 16 the pin 19 constituting the pivotal connection between the arm or curvature of the strap 1l is aV` concave roller 2O with which engages the ball when guided by the Strap 11 after passing from the gutter for entrance to the chute and onto the rack. When the ball travels in the gutter on its return from the alley the impact of the ball upon the strapV ll will enlarge the curvature of the spring l0, and thus permit the ball to pass'rreely upwardly through theA chute and afterrreach- 'Y ing a predetermined point of elevation the curvature of the strap and spring is again changed by reason of the rocking of the arm 13 due tothe concussion -of the ball so that the said curvature is shortened and thus decreases the distance between the roller 20 andthe said strap at the', point of 'the overhanging portion thereof relativer to the rack, thus retarding the travel of the ball for the slow deposit thereof in the rack, andl this action is repeated on the successive return of the ballsV singly from the alley for the deposit thereof upon the rack, which iS elevated at a point above the gutter for the return ball.

`Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ipatentsj n what is Claimed s;

1.7The combination with a gutter and a rack, 'ot-a retarding device comprising a spring chute leadingfrom the gutter to the rack, a movable hanger Vfor the' chute to permit a variance in the curvature thereol on the impact of a ball therewith to retard the progress ofy the latter from the gutter to the rack.

2. The combination with a gutter and a rack, of a housing for communication; with the same, a curved spring having one end nxed to the base of the housing and forming al continuation from the gutter to the rack,

a strap arranged within the spring, a roclc ing hanger connected with the strap, and a roller journaledV in the housing centrally of the arcuate formation of the spring and on a level with the rack.

3. lThe combination with a glitter and 'a j rack, of' a housing for communication with the same, a curved spring havingoneend ixed tothe base of the housing and forming a continuationfrom the gutter to the rack,

a strap arranged within the spring,y a rocking hanger connected with the strap, a 'roller journaled in the housing centrally of the arcuate. formation of the spring and on a level with thexrack, and'means 'forl permitting adjnstment of the hanger.

Intestimony whereof I afliX my Signature.

WILLIAM' lV. VEARING.

Washington, D, C. 

